Thirty-year-old Mario Barrios of the United States retained his World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight crown against 46-year-old Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao of the Philippines via a majority draw, with judges scoring 115-113, 114-114, and 114-114. Returning after a four-year hiatus, Pacquiao fought with intensity and control, but the judges’ scorecards told a different story: one favored Barrios 115–113, while the other two saw it as a 114–114 draw, allowing the Texan titleholder to keep his belt. “I thought I won the fight,” said Pacquiao, whose record now stands at 62–9–3, following the match against Barrios (29-2-2) on Saturday night in Las Vegas (Sunday morning in the Philippines). This marked Pacquiao’s return since his unanimous decision loss to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 and his subsequent failed presidential bid in May 2022. “It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful fight,” Pacquiao said post-match, attributing limited training time to his recent Senate campaign under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s coalition, which he also lost. Barrios praised Pacquiao, calling it an honor to share the ring, as both fighters expressed interest in a rematch. A segment of the crowd booed the decision. Pacquiao started aggressively, using footwork to establish rhythm with jabs and straight rights, while Barrios remained patient, landing clean shots in later rounds. Pacquiao emphasized his desire for a rematch, seeing it as part of his legacy to inspire Filipinos, with Barrios equally open to a second bout, deeming the fight “huge for boxing.” (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
